A Twisted Fate
by author-in-training01
Summary: Kagome is from a race of one-of-a-kind beings created by the Kami's to unite both youkai and human. Protecting herself from an attack, she is found by Sesshomaru and kidnapped. She escapes, but her twisted fate will not be so kind in letting her stay from
1. We Meet Again

_Title:__ A twisted Fate_

_Genre:__ Romance/Humor/Adventure_

_Language:__ English_

_Rating: __M (for future chapters, most likely a lemon later on)_

_Summary:__ Kagome is from a race of one-of-a-kind beings created by the Kami's to unite both youkai and human. Protecting herself from an attack, she is found by Sesshomaru and kidnapped. She escapes, but her twisted fate will not be so kind in letting her stay from Sesshomaru for long._

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own anything regarding Inuyasha or any of its characters. Sole ownership belongs to its creator, Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else has copyrighted it. That fact -- along with the fact that I have no money -- is reason enough (I hope) for no one to sue me. _

'_You would have thought that I'd have learned to stay with my own species by now.'_ thought a girl. She was dressed rather strangely considering her surroundings. Rain pelted her lithe form. She was clothed in a beautiful black silk kimono that hugged her figure, regardless of if it was raining or not. Her ebony and emerald tresses clung to her face, soaked through with rain.

She brought a hand in front of her face, palm facing her. The black rose stood stark against the pale flesh of her palm. Sigh. The mark of her kind. A clan of Demon Miko's. She was one of a handful left. Her people killed off by the greedy youkai and humans of this world. Killed off when all they wanted was to bring peace between the two species. That was of course, the reason that the Kami's had created them. Her clan, her race, her people.

But the Kami's had never suspected what the humans and youkai would do. They never thought that both races would hunt them down for being a special breed of hanyou.

But that was wrong. She is not a hanyou. She is not a youkai, but she is not a human either. She is . . . unique. As where the few remaining members of her clan.

"What have you gotten yourself into Higurashi?" she asked herself. Kagome Higurashi had just asked herself the million-dollar question. What _had_ she gotten herself into?

It had all happened so quickly. She had been doing her daily chore of gathering herbs while the dew was still on them, when a ginormous (AN: giant + enormous ginormous) bear youkai attacked her, yelling something about a jewel. Her first thought was; what jewel? Her second was; Oh crap! There's a youkai running at me, claws out! So she did the only sensible thing that one of her kind would have done. She reached deep within my powers, and purified the youkai into a small pile of ash.

And because of that, another youkai had begun stalking her. Drawn by the amount of power that he had sensed when she fought the bear youkai. And when she let her guard down to sleep, he had kidnapped her and taken her to his palace in the Western Lan-

"Kagome! Kagome where are you?" someone called through the trees, breaking Kagome's train of thought.

"Over here Akihito!" Kagome yelled to another Demon Miko.

Akihito came running through the trees, bursting into the clearing that Kagome was standing in. "The Elder needs you." he said breathlessly.

_That _caught Kagome's attention. She was the youngest in her clan, the Elder never called upon the youngest. It was almost unheard of. "What does she need?" Kagome asked quietly.

"You know the Elder. She never says what the reason is, just who she needs." Akihito said.

Kagome nodded before standing up. She looked over at Akihito, her only brother left alive. He was a mirror image of her, but that was to be expected of twins. She had, as was her luck, been born thirty seconds after Akihito. Which of course, not only made her the youngest in her family, but the youngest in the clan. She only had Akihito left. Her mother and father were killed by a band of human samurai, her brothers by a nest of black cobra youkai.

"Race you back." Kagome said, getting into her sprint position.

Akihito sighed melodramatically, "Surely you must be tired of losing all the time," he said.

Kagome just laughed and took off. Akihito right behind her. They stayed at pretty much the same pace until they got right outside the village, then Akihito sped up and beat Kagome. Akihito walked Kagome to the Elder's hut, but that's where he stopped. He would have followed, but the Elder had asked for Kagome alone. And it was in one's best interest to do exactly as the Elder said.

Upon entering the Elders hut, Kagome was surprised to see that the Elder was not sitting or lying down, but was up and pacing. Something must be very, very wrong for the Elder to be up and walking around. Kagome bowed down so that her forehead touched the dirt floor. "You summoned me Elder?" she asked.

"Yes. Get up," she commanded. "You look foolish down there. I have something I need you to do."

"Elder." Kagome said. "May I ask why you need me for this? I am the youngest of the clan. Surely there is someone better suited than I."

The Elder shook her head, "I'm sorry my child, but you are the only one that is right for this."

Kagome nodded, still puzzled, "If it is not too impertinent of me, may I ask why I am the only one for this?"

"Because little one. You may be the youngest of the clan, but your spiritual powers are far greater than anyone else's. You are the best shot in the village, and the best with the sword. You are the only one qualified for this."

"Yes Elder." Kagome accepted the compliments without letting it go to her ego. She knew, as well as anyone else, that she was in fact, the best shot, and the best with the sword. _'But my spiritual powers? Surely hers are still bigger than mine.' _she thought. "What must I do?" Kagome asked.

"I need you to escort someone and protect him from coming danger." the Elder told her.

"Who must I escort, Elder?" Kagome asked.

"Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands."

Kagome's mouth hung open. Had the Elder just suggested who she thought he'd just suggested? The very youkai that had kidnapped her? "Elder. Please tell me that you are speaking of a different Sesshomaru." Kagome pleaded.

"I'm sorry, young Kagome." the Elder shook her head sadly. "I am aware of the fact that you know Lord Sesshomaru. And I am also aware of the circumstances in which you know him. Unfortunately, he has come to our village seeking aid, and it is against our laws to deny help to any. No matter who they might be. You know very well that I would have sent anyone other than you. You are so young and innocent. But Lord Sesshomaru said that this mission was of the greatest importance, and that he needed the most powerful. There is nothing I can do. He requested you, and you know as well as I that I cannot turn away such a request. I must honor a sincere request. The Kami's have dictated it."

"But Elder-" Kagome began.

"Enough." the Elder interrupted Kagome. "This is my will. Are you prepared to do as I say?"

Kagome bowed her head in defeat. "Yes Elder. I vow to help Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands until his problem has been solved. I vow my strength, spirit, bow, and sword to help him. So I vow, may my powers be stripped if I stray from my mission." Kagome recited the traditional vow, said by those sent on missions by the Elder.

"I take you by your word. May your mission be successful." the Elder said back regretfully. "Now go. You have what remains of today to be ready. I will be waiting for you at the west edge of the village at dawn to see you off."

Kagome nodded mutely, trying her best to mask her rage and indignance, and strode out of the Elder's tent. She blinked at the sudden burst of bright sunlight, the rain having finally stopped in the short time she's been in the Elder's tent, and looked around at the village. It was her home. All she'd ever known, all she'd ever wanted. Now she had to leave to help an arrogant, pompous, icy little bastard who didn't deserve to be helped.

'_It figures.'_ Kagome thought as she slowly walked back to her hut. _"I just escaped that pompous ass, and now I get to go back.' _Kagome sighed as she pushed back the flap to her hut. Sniffing out the food that her brother had prepared for her.

"What troubles you little sister?" Akihito asked her.

"Nothing." Kagome lied.

"You always were a terrible liar." Akihito said, coming over to were Kagome had seated herself to hug her around the shoulders. "Now tell your big brother what has gotten you so down."

"Oh Akihito, I've been sent on a mission." Kagome wailed, beginning to sob into Akihito's sensible cotton shoulder.

"What's so bad about that?" Akihito asked. "You're forever begging me to take you with me on my missions."

"I have to protect someone that I despise." Kagome sniffled.

"And just who would that be? I don't believe I know of anyone that you despise." Akihito said teasingly.

"Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands." Kagome said

"The youkai that kidnapped you?!" Akihito demanded. "Why would the Elder have you do such a task?"

"Because," Kagome said, attempting to regain her composure. "The Elder said that he came asking for help. And the Elder said that since he thought I was the most qualified, that I would have to go and do it. You know that the Elder is bound the laws of the Kami's. "

'_Has the Elder gone mad?' _Akihito thought. _'Surely there is someone more qualified than my baby sister, no matter what the Kami's say. _"Don't worry, Kagome. I'll straighten this out with the Elder. I'm sure she made a mistake." Akihito assured his sister.

"It's too late Akihito." Kagome said wearily. "I've already accepted the mission. My powers will be stripped if I quit now."

"Why would you accept a mission like that?" Akihito demanded. "What has gotten into you?"

"I don't know big brother." Kagome sighed, "The Elder asked me to do something, and you know just as well as I do that you can't deny a mission straight from the Elder."

Akihito opened his mouth to protest again, but Kagome beat him to it.

"Enough, Akihito." Kagome demanded, raising a hand, and sending him a flash or her ki as a warning to stop. "I'm tired, hungry, and I need to get ready for my departure tomorrow." she looked pleadingly at her big brother, "Please don't make this any worse than it already is."

Akihito clenched his jaw so hard that a muscle spasmed, but nodded anyway. _'I still don't think that this is a good idea.' _he thought to her.

Kagome sighed in his mind. _'I know it isn't. But there's nothing I can do about it. So I'm just going to have to stick it out until it's over with.'_

'_But what if you get hurt?'_ he asked her.

'_Then I'll heal myself.' _she answered. _'Or have you forgotten that healing is what I'm good at?'_

'_I hadn't forgotten.'_ Akihito thought crossly, shoving noodles into a pot and onto the cooking fire. _'But what if you get kidnapped again?'_

'_First of all. Since Sesshomaru needs me, I highly doubt that he would allow me to get kidnapped again. And he wouldn't be able to kidnap me again because according to the agreements for help from out clan, he would be put to death by the Kami's if he attempted to do me harm after we had agreed to help him. You know our laws as well as I do.'_ Kagome told her worried brother.

Akihito was silent for a few minutes. _'I hate it when you out-logic me. I thought I was the one that was supposed to protect you.' _he finally said.

'_Perhaps you should consider the fact that I'm no longer a child to be coddled.' _Kagome retorted playfully. '_And don't give me that "You're my little sister crap" Akihito. I know that you're my big brother, and I always will. But eventually you're going to have to let someone else protect me.'_

'_I am fully aware of the fact that one day you will have a mate that will protect you. But until that day, I am your sole protector.' _Akihito said protectively.

'_Just you?'_ Kagome asked, a small smile gracing her features. _'Have you forgotten the Elder and the rest of the village?'_

'_Of course not.'_ Akihito sighed. _'It's just that --'_

'_I know, big brother.' _Kagome cut in, sighing heavily. _'Now hurry up and serve those noodles. I'm starving."_

Akihito let out a short laugh as he retrieved two bowls and spooned out the noodles for the two of them. Kagome stood and got some crusty bread for them both, and they sat down to their dinner.

Kagome stood on the tallest branch that would hold her weight. She was currently in the oldest tree in their village. This tree, the Goshinboku was said to have been planted before the gods had been born into existence. Kagome had always had a certain love for this tree, it always seemed to calm her down when her thoughts were an angry storm within her mind. Just as they were this morning.

"Kagome." An elderly voice called from below.

"Coming!" She yelled back as she spied the Elder about fifty some-odd feet below her.

As was her custom, Kagome began to swing down from the branches. In what Akihito called "the stupidest and most dangerous thing I've ever seen". But for Kagome, it was nothing. She loved the wild, free-flying feeling that she got when she swung from branch to branch. Kagome has always wished that she was old enough to fly. And now, if she completed her first, true mission, the Elder would take her into a ceremony that would unleash the wings given to her kind by the gods.

"Stop daydreaming Kagome." the Elder commanded her. "Lord Sesshomaru will be here any minute."

"Yes, Elder." Kagome said obediently, bowing her head, and positioning herself beside the Elder to wait for the Ice Prince.

Sesshomaru could smell the enticing scent of the one called "Kagome". He had never really understood why he'd taken her. Perhaps it was the immense power she had unleashed. Or perhaps it was the way that she had looked at him without any fear. He would probably never know what had spurred him to make such a spontaneous decision. There are many things that Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands is, and 'spontaneous' is most definitely not one of them.

Back to the matter at hand, it seemed that Kagome and the Old One were waiting for him. That was to be expected. He was the Lord of the Western Lands, after all. Sweeping gracefully into the clearing, he stopped a foot in front of Kagome, completely ignoring the Elder.

"Welcome, Lord Sesshomaru." the Elder said anyway, ignoring the fact that she was, in fact, being ignored.

Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side, glancing quickly at the Elder. He gave a quick nod of affirmation, then returned his attention back to Kagome. Once again, she appeared to not fear him at all. As a matter of fact, the scent she was giving off suggested that she was rather pissed off.

Kagome returned his stare evenly. She wasn't scared, she was pissed. Sesshomaru wouldn't dare do anything with the Elder right next to her. She was tense though, her instincts didn't enjoy the fact that one of the most powerful youkai in the world was slightly less than a foot in front of her. Not that there was really that much that she could do about it. While she may exceed him in terms of spiritual power, she had made an oath. And if she attacked him, she would be in breach of said oath. She would lose her powers, and, depending on which Kami was watching her that day, she would either die, become a human, or become a youkai. And he would never attack her first, not even _he_ would be arrogant, or stupid enough, to think that he could survive an onslaught from an entire village of Demon Miko's.

Kagome bowed to Sesshomaru. Not a single inch above or under protocol, and never once breaking eye contact with him. "Welcome, Lord Sesshomaru. My powers are at your disposal."

"Good. Follow me. We need to depart to my lands immediately." He said coolly.

"Lord Sesshomaru, a word, if I may?" The Elder put in as Sesshomaru was turning around.

Sesshomaru glared at the Elder, who didn't so much as bat an eye. "What do you want Old One?"

"I would prefer not to speak about this in front of Kagome, but since it would appear that you have no intention of moving, I suppose I must speak now." The Elder shot an apologetic look at Kagome, who looked a little miffed at almost being left out of the loop. Directing her attention back at Lord Sesshomaru, she said "I am fully aware of your past history with young Kagome, however, I, as well as her family and the rest of the village would appreciate it if she was, let us say, not confronted with the same problem as before. Since she is helping you, I would hope that you would show her a little more hospitality and concern than previously given."

The glare that Sesshomaru directed at the Elder could have incinerated even the most stubborn of youkai. "I would not sully my honor by disrespecting the pact that we have forged. Kagome will remain in my protection until her service with me has terminated. You threats hold nothing with me. Kagome will return to this village when I am finished with her."

The Elder recognized the double meaning in his words, but didn't say another word on the matter. Lord Sesshomaru would hopefully not do anything too rash. And considering the demon that we're talking about, rash is probably not going to happen.

Sesshomaru turned to Kagome, "Hurry up girl. We need to be on our way."

Kagome bit back the comment that was poised on the tip of her tongue. She would wait until she was out of hearing range of the Elder before she let loose her ire on the snooty Demon Lord.

"First things first _Lord Sesshomaru_. My name is not 'girl'. My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me. Get it right. It's not 'bitch', 'wench', 'girl', 'woman', or anything but Kagome. I may have to deal with you until this mission is over with, but that does not mean that you get to disrespect me." Kagome snapped at the Demon Lord's white-clad back.

Sesshomaru stopped walking, and turned around slowly. He faced Kagome and started walking towards her, stopping mere inches from her. "Now listen to me_ Ka-go-me_. I am Lord Sesshomaru. Lord and ruler of the Western Lands. I am an inu demon of the highest rank and power. If you wish to be treated with _respect_, then you will show me the respect that someone of my rank and power deserves. I am not a powerless peasant. You will address me as Lord Sesshomaru, or Sesshomaru-sama. And I expect you to begin doing so now." Sesshomaru said icily.

"Well guess what, Sesshomaru-_sama_, when you start saying my name without that sarcastic undertone, then I will start to give you the respect you so righteously _deserve_." Kagome said. Her temper was starting to get the better of her, and her Ki was beginning to flare around her like a blue fire. Her azure eyes began to spark, and the wind around her began to whip.

"I will only tell you one more time _Ka-go-me_, I am to be respected or I will not hesitate to-"

"GIVE ME THE JEWEL!" roared the slobbering ogre that burst through the surrounding trees at Kagome.

Kagome just stared at him, "What jewel?" she asked right before he grabbed her in his massive fist. "Hey! Let me go!" she yelled at him as he began to shake her back and forth as if trying to shake something out of her.

Sesshomaru felt his anger mounting. This arrogant son-of-an-ogre had just burst through the clearing and he never even glanced at him. He went straight for that girl. Not even that, but that ogre interrupted his yelling. No one interrupts the Great Lord Sesshomaru when he's yelling. So Sesshomaru did what he does best, he summoned his acid whip and cut the ogre in half.

Kagome, of course, is still being held fast in the ogres giant fist as it falls the fifteen feet to the ground. Seeing as how her arms were still pinned within the bests fist's, all she could do was glare daggers at Sesshomaru while she gathered up the energy needed to disintegrate her confines, and get that nasty ogre-blood stench off of her.

That being done, she stood to brush off the ash that used to be the ogre, and continue to glare daggers at the silver-haired jerk standing in front of her. "Listen up 'cause I'm only want to say this once." she told the demon haughtily, " I'm here because _you_ needed help, not the other way around. Now I suggest that we just agree to hate each other so we can hurry up and get this over with so we no longer have to suffer each other's presence."

After a few moments of silence from the Western Lord, Sesshomaru gave Kagome a curt nod and an even colder "Agreed" before walking straight to Kagome and grabbing her by the waist to pull her flush against him. "Hold on." he said without even bothering to look down at her.

"What are you talking about?" Kagome managed to get out before she was suddenly catapulted hundreds of feet into the air, forcing her to grab ahold of the irritating demon lord to prevent herself from falling like a rock to the very solid ground beneath her. "Where are we going?" she asked Sesshomaru after taking a few minutes to get used to the height.

"To my castle." he replied.


	2. Arrival

_"What are you talking about?" Kagome managed to get out before she was suddenly catapulted hundreds of feet into the air, forcing her to grab hold of the irritating demon lord to prevent herself from falling like a rock to the very solid ground beneath her. "Where are we going?" she asked Sesshomaru after taking a few minutes to get used to the height._

_"To my castle." he replied._

'_To his castle?' _Kagome thought. _'Interesting. He never brought me to his castle the last time. We just stayed in some stuffy old cave. I wonder what it looks like and how big it is.'_

She was so lost in her musing that she barely noticed the ground as it sped underneath the two. Sesshomaru's tail began to slowly make its way around Kagome's shoulders as he began to notice her subtle shivering.

Sesshomaru glanced down his nose to the petite woman barely cresting his chin in height. There was something in her scent now that he could not remember being there during their last encounter. He could not pin it down no matter how hard he honed his senses. One second he could smell it as clearly as if someone held a vial of it right beneath his nose, and the next second it was gone as quickly as he tried to breathe it in.

It was really quite frustrating.

Not specifically the scent, but more the fact that he was concerned with the small obsession he was beginning to feel for the woman. _'Ka-go-me.'_ He said slowly in his head. Savoring the taste of it as he rolled it around in his mouth.

The true problem lay in the fact that she was in his almost every waking thought. Vision of her lovely pale skin haunted his dreams and that beautifully irritating scent was forever in his nostrils.

For the first time in his long life, the Great Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands was confused.

Thus the frustration.

She was so innocent. That was it. She had such large amounts of power. Almost limitless, he had seen her use them himself. Had they been in a battle pitted against each other he was sure that she would pose a very likely threat. It was the fact that she had such power and yet she would use it first to heal and defend rather than attack and destroy the threat. It made no sense to him.

There, there it was again. That change in her scent. He had finally figured out what it reminded him of. Cherry blossoms. The subtle scent of cherry blossoms was swirling around her in a constant stream, Swirling around her in small circles like her own personal perfume cloud. It was entrancing. That sweetness mingling with her own personal musk had him wanting to sit back and let out a relaxed growl.

_'Well that smells wonderful.'_ His inner demon said while uncurling and stretching out. _'I remember that scent. We've been around this one before. Isn't she the one that escaped from us a few weeks ago? I do believe we have a score to settle with this little one.' _

'_Stay out of this.' _Sesshomaru demanded. _'The woman named Kagome is under my protection until this problem with the pest Naraku is dealt with.'_

_'Does that mean that we get to play once he's dead? Because if that's the case then we need to find him right now. I was impressed by her power when we found her, but the fact that she not only escaped, but managed to lose us three separate times is damned annoying and it's making me really horny.'_

_'Keep your libido to yourself. I must deal with Naraku first and foremost. Everything else takes a very far second.'_ Sesshomaru snapped.

_'Very well. I'll do my very best to keep to myself but I make no promises if that little minx decides to start making some moves of her own. In that kind of situation I refuse to be held responsible for my_ _actions.'_ His demon replied lazily.

Sesshomaru, in his infinite wisdom knew better than to try and lead his inner demon into a mental pissing contest, so he decided to just let the subject drop. He had withheld his inner beast before -–most recently during their last encounter with Kagome-- and he would do it again if necessary.

A soft snoring drew his attention to the small form wrapped firmly in his tail. She had fallen asleep. His damn tail had been subtly pulsing while he was arguing in his head, which had essentially given her a full body massage and she had fallen asleep using his chest as a living pillow. He stared down his nose at her, unable to decide if he wanted to wake her so that she would stop snuggling into his chest and arousing his inner demon even more than he already was, or letting her stay that way because of how surprisingly good it felt for her warm cheek to rub against the thin silk of the haori that covered his chest.

When she let out a soft moan and moved against him he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the red from completely seeping through his eyes. She had moved one hand so that it was lightly massaging his tail in her sleep and her other hand was planted firmly right above the hem of his hakama.

_'I hope she's enjoying whatever dream she's having because I certainly am.' _His demon crowed triumphantly. _'Help her along. I know you know how to use that it. Imagine how much fun it would be to seduce someone as pure as this one.'_

_'_No._' _Sesshomaru said rather vehemently. _'I will not take advantage of someone in my care, most certainly not while they are asleep and we are hundreds of feet in the air.'_

_'Party pooper. Then at least move her so that she isn't as stimulating. Much more of this and I don't know if I'll be able to behave.'_

Sesshomaru silently agreed and slowly used his traitorous tail to reposition Kagome so that there was a solid wall of fur between the two of them. He could not, however, completelyprevent it from continuing to pulse around Kagome. It had, apparently, taken a liking to her and was wrapped around her as contentedlyas a dog in front of a fireplace.

The deeper she fell into her sleep the more Sesshomaru began to notice a blue-black haze building around her. Not haze, more like a slow, pulsing electricity that surrounded her like a blanket. At first he couldn't figure out what it was, and then it occurred to him that it was yet another aspect of her power. That irked him a little bit. He did not like not knowing exactly what was going on, and the fact that the woman had powers that he was not aware of rubbed at his nerves. He would have to remedy that once they reached his lands.

Speaking of; he could now see the beginnings of his lands. His castle would be visible once they crested this last set of mountains.

Kagome was having the most wonderful dream. She was surrounded by warmth. It wrapped around her and made her want to do nothing but relax and let the feel of being completely comfortable take over. Her mind began to wander and she vaguely realized that she was beginning to enter a dream.

_She was sitting in a hot spring, resting with her forehead against a cool boulder in front of her. The warm water was up to just under her shoulders, the warm water and the subtly water currents working on the aches and knots along her spine; the testament of her days training._

_The sudden feeling of someone else in the surrounding area pulsed in Kagome's head. She wasn't receiving any threatening vibes from the visitor, so she didn't immediately raise any type of barrier, and even when she could hear him start to remove his clothing and slide into the hot spring, she refrained from raising a barrier. Instead of feeling threatened, Kagome actually began to feel herself relax even more the closer the stranger came. Her aura sparked in warning when one of the strangers long-fingered hands came into contact with her back._

"_I won't hurt you" he said softly._

"_I know." Kagome replied, though she didn't know how she could be so sure of that fact._

_His hands began to slowly apply pressure on either side of her spine, working out the kinks from her day, and she couldn't suppress the soft moan that escaped her lips at the wonderful feeling of his hands on her bare back. The skilled pair began to work their way from under the water at the base of her spine up to the small of her back and up farther still to the center and top of her back. _

_When he reached her shoulders Kagome let her head fall back onto the strong shoulder of her masseuse. She kept her eyes closed for the small fear that if she opened them her dream would end and the warmth would go away._

_"May I?" he asked as his hands hesitated, poised to begin on the front of her shoulders._

_A brief second of hesitation passed before Kagome nodded her consent and he began to work his strong fingers on the front of her shoulders. He had done nothing of any sort to arouse Kagome. His skilled hands had gone nowhere that was inappropriate and yet Kagome could not help but begin to feel the first tendrils of lust curl through her belly as he worked her into an extremely relaxed state. _

_Kagome couldn't help herself as she allowed her eyes to crack open to see a whirlwind of silver strand forming a halo around the head of the man behind her. She only knew of one man with silver hair, and that was not someone she had thought would be able to stir these kinds of feelings within her._

'_Why is it that even in my dreams I can't esc-"_

_'You need to wake her up right now.' _

Sesshomaru could sense the urgency in his inner demon's voice, so rather than asking questions, he merely dumped Kagome on the ground of the courtyard to his castle.

"We have arrived." He regally told an indignant Kagome.

AN: Thank you so much to all of the people who are reading this fic. This is my first attempt at a fanfic, so bear with me. I'm really sorry that this chapter is not near as long as the first one. But my computer is being retarded and school is kicking my ass. I have the weekend off though so with any luck I'll have another chapter up within the next couple of days. And just remember, the more reviews I get, the more I feel like updating :P


	3. InuTaisho

'_You need to wake her up right now.' _

_Sesshomaru had smelled the scent and realized what it meant at the exact time his inner demon had. The woman in his arms was aroused. He could smell it on her faintly as she slept, wrapped in his tail. This situation could very easily escalate out of control, so Sesshomaru did the first thing he could think of. He dropped Kagome unceremoniously on the stone courtyard to his castle._

_"We have arrived." He regally told an indignant Kagome._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"That was completely unnecessary!" Kagome yelled after jumping to her feet. She poked Sesshomaru in the chest with one of her slender fingers, but stopped short when she saw the frustrated look that passed across his normally stoic visage. "Are you alright?"

"This Sesshomaru is fine." He snapped after a second of internal hesitation. His beast had quieted for the moment. "You were sleeping. This Sesshomaru woke you up."

"But you didn't have to drop me on the ground." Kagome shouted.

"Lower your voice when speaking to this Sesshomaru, you're screeching is irritating my ears." Sesshomaru said acidly to a fuming Kagome.

"Well I'll stop _screeching_ if you stop being an asshole!" Kagome yelled right back in his face. Or rather, she yelled it into his chest, the difference in height between the two making Kagome's head top out at a few inches under Sesshomaru's chin.

Sesshomaru allowed himself to glare down at the young woman before turning regally on his heel and marching into his castle. "Follow me." He ordered without so much as turning his head around.

Kagome let out a muttered curse, dusted herself off, and followed the arrogant lord into his castle. On entering the great hall, she had to hold in an amazed gasp at the beautiful artwork in the tapestries adorning the walls and the craftsmanship in the wooden molding on the doors. It was like walking into a virtual treasure trove of paintings, sculptures, and other assorted masterpieces.

_'Wow.'_ Thought Kagome as she gulped back the gasp that threatened to escape when she reached the end of the hall they had been walking down. A painting at least twenty feet tall and another fifteen feet wide dominated the wall. A huge Inu-youkai in his natural form rode on four swirling clouds beneath his paws. His jaws spread wide, letting out what would undoubtedly be a tremendous roar. A peaceful landscape sat under him, grassy plains and a serene lake calmly watching the demon fly above. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Sesshomaru smirked to himself when he saw the woman gaping at the painting of his father. He had to admit, albeit inside his own head, that it was, in point of fact, quite impressive. That was when he noticed something strange. A sort of bluish-green mist was beginning to form around Kagome and to slowly make its way towards his father's painting. Even stranger, a white mist was beginning to seep out of the painting and make its way towards the young woman. When the two auras met they curled around each other like a couple of old friends. The two vapors swirling into curls and loops, creating circles of blue that reminded Sesshomaru oddly of bubbles.

He had obviously been around Rin far too much.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The lazy smile Kagome wore was of an emotion no less than complete and utter happiness. Her mind was no longer in the extravagant castle in which her body resided, but flying high in the air on the back of the great Inu-youkai in the painting. The pure glee she felt made her want to let out a huge whoop and wave her arms around like a maniac. _'So this is what flying feels like.' _She shouted in her mind. _'I cannot wait to gain my wings.'_

It seemed like hours before the great Inu landed on a mountain top. Sensing that he wanted her to dismount, she carefully slid off his back and landed softly on the cool grass.

'Sit' a voice in her head commanded her.

So she sat. The demon lay down on his belly before her, his huge muzzle inches away from her face, his breath fanning out over her cheeks, warming her comfortably.

'My name is Inu-Taisho, Lord of the Western Lands, and father of Sesshomaru. You must be the young demon-miko I have heard so much about.'

"How do you know who I am?" Kagome asked.

'That is not all that I know.' He replied complacently. 'I know that your name is Kagome and that my son kidnapped you and yet you escaped. I must admit, that is a very interesting fact. Normally my son is not so easy to release those he has taken the time to capture.'

"He did not release me!" Kagome snapped, despite the fact that the great dog could eat her in one bite. "I escaped on my own!"

Kagome could have sworn that she saw the demon smile at her. 'I make no mistakes about your abilities. I was merely making an observation on my son's habits. Please be sure that I am aware of the scope of your powers, and where I still among the living, I would have been privileged to fight by your side.'

That right there knocked Kagome on her figurative ass. She had been told the stories of the great Inu-Taisho as a young girl before the death of her family. She was well aware of the fact that he had been the most feared demon of his time. That he would praise her abilities without even having seen her fight –or so Kagome thought- was such a high honor that for a moment she couldn't speak.

'But I did not bring you here simply to chat. I have some very important information to give you.'

Kagome nodded her understanding, letting Inu-Taisho know that she was ready for whatever he told her.

'My son is in great danger, as is all of the land in his Kingdom and in every other corner of the world. A new threat has arrived. His name is Naraku, and he is an evil hanyou of great power and ambition. He is searching for a sacred jewel that, if he can find it, will mean the end of all human life on the planet, and a reign more terrible than anything you could possible imagine. He must be stopped. This is where you come in. I need you to help Sesshomaru along his quest to destroy this monstrosity, and return the world to its natural balance.'

"But how can I help?" Kagome asked quietly. "I've never heard of this Sacred Jewel, and even if I had, I would never know how to find or obtain it."

'That is just it.' Inu-Taisho replied, 'You already have it. You have had it since you were first born. It resides inside your body. You have been protecting it your entire life without even knowing what kind of power you possessed.'

"If that is true then how exactly am I supposed to get the jewel? Wait until someone rips a hole in me and hope it falls out before I die?" Kagome quipped, the truth crashing over her in waves, making it hard for her to breathe.

'That is where I come in. We shall leave that for a little later, there is more you must know before your journey begins. You will meet several people along your way that will both require your help, and be able to aid you as well.'

"Who are they?" Kagome asked.

'That I cannot tell you. Just remember this; not everyone who appears the enemy is the enemy, and not everyone who appears to be the friend is the friend. Keep a wary eye on everyone and everything that you meet. Sesshomaru will know the direction that you need to travel in to reach your goal. Follow his lead, and learn from him.'

Kagome nodded her acquiescence and waited for him to continue. 'Our time here is limited, so for now this is all that I can tell you. I will be with you on your journey in spirit if not in body. I must however set some rules. Firstly; tell Sesshomaru nothing more than that you have spoken with me. Do not tell him that I will be with you, only that you have spoken with me here and now. Second; tell no one else about me. If you do, then I can no longer help you, my meetings with you in the first place are under scrutiny, as most are not allowed to commune with the dead. Third; do not try to contact me unless it is a life or death situation. You will use up far too much of your spiritual energy and leave you a weakened state for much too long. Unless it is of the utmost importance, you must wait for me to contact you. I will be waiting for you at night while you are sleeping. Say my name in your mind before you fall asleep, and I will be waiting. Now is the part of our conversation that I am going to regret the most. Please forgive me for what I must do.'

Kagome looked up at the great beast with a question in her eyes. Before she had a chance to even react, one huge white paw had pinned her to the ground, and Kagome felt panic shoot through her body as his massive jaws began to lower towards her.

'I'm sorry.' Kagome heard whispered through her mind as she felt his teeth rip into the flesh on her hip. She barely noticed a bright pink flash of light as a mist formed in front of her eyes and she lost consciousness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sesshomaru couldn't believe his eyes. The young woman was hovering four feet off the ground in front of his father's portrait, surrounded by the combined auras from the woman herself and his fathers painting. She'd already been like that for several minutes, and he was beginning to wonder when and if she would ever come down.

He turned to issue and order to one of his servants to fetch him a chair to recline in when he suddenly smelled blood and a soft scream issue from behind him. He whipped around to find blood and an almost blinding pink light flow out of a wound on the woman's left hip. Kagome suddenly dropped out of the air, and Sesshomaru used his demon speed to catch her before she hit the ground.

Kagome put a hand to the wound on her hip, and when she pulled her bloody hand away, there was a small pink orb sitting in the palm of her hand, it glowing with a soft, comforting aura. "So that's the jewel." She said weakly, before blackness consumed her, and her head fell back against Sesshomaru's shoulder.

'_Well she has some explaining to do.' _Sesshomaru's beast said. _'Agreed'_ Sesshomaru thought.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A.N. -- I know that the excerpt at the top of the page doesn't match the last bit from the previous chapter. I know, I know. Sorry guys but this one seemed to be a little bit more interesting. Go with this excerpt as the actual one instead of the other one. And yes, I realize that I can just change it on the site, but this is much easier. Let me know what you think. Suggestions are welcome, flames will be ignored. Also, sorry this update took so long, but what can I say? Writer's block is one mean bitch.


	4. Waking Up

_Kagome put a hand to the wound on her hip, and when she pulled her bloody hand away, there was a small pink orb sitting in the palm of her hand, it glowing with a soft, comforting aura. "So that's the jewel." She said weakly, before blackness consumed her, and her head fell back against Sesshomaru's shoulder._

'_Well she has some explaining to do.' Sesshomaru's beast said. 'Agreed' Sesshomaru thought._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunlight filtered through the bamboo shades to shine on the peacefully sleeping face of Kagome. The bandaged wound on her hip was already almost completely healed, the jewel resting inside her loosely closed palm, still glowing with a soft pink aura.

Sesshomaru sat in a chair on the left side of Kagome's bed, doing nothing but watching her breathe and subtly checking the sound of her heart beating, making sure that it was nice and regular. His own regular breathing bringing him the rapidly fading scent of the woman-child's blood. Finally he began to detect that she was beginning to wake up, and within seconds he heard a soft sigh from the bed and saw Kagome slowly raise her upper body off the mattress, using her arms a support.

* Kagome POV *

_'Wake up child, you are needed.' A soft comforting voice whispered to Kagome_. _For some reason it sounded like her mother. But that wasn't right, her mother was dead, she died long ago, when Kagome was just a child. She'd died saving her and Akihito. _

_'Mother?' Kagome sobbed. It sounded so much like her mother. She hadn't heard her mother's voice in so long. She sounded so close._

_'Open your eyes my child, my beautiful Kagome, you are needed beyond this place.' The voice said, beginning to sound farther away._

_'Mother please! Don't leave me again!' Kagome wailed._

_'Open your eyes, my child.'_

A very bright light greeted Kagome's wide open eyes. That combined with the dream she had just been experiencing caused a cascade of tears to start pouring down her cheeks. She barely noticed when Sesshomaru appeared by her side seconds later, deeply curious as to what was making her cry.

It took several seconds for Kagome to calm down long enough to take stock of her surroundings, and even then a couple more seconds to realize whom exactly was sitting next to her with a very strange stare in his eyes.

"Where am I?" Kagome finally managed to get out after a quick and furious eye-rubbing session.

Sesshomaru allowed himself another second of that strange stare, and then let out a muted, "Your chambers in my home: The Palace of the Crescent Moon, in the center of the Western Lands. I had a maid and a doctor dress your wound and your robes. You will meet me in the dining hall in one hour so that you can explain exactly what happened three days ago, and exactly what _that_ is." On the word 'that' Sesshomaru nodded his head towards Kagome's right hand that was still enclosing the small pink jewel.

Kagome was still to shaken from the memory of her resent dream that she couldn't' even muster enough defiance to give Sesshomaru a properly sarcastic "Okay."

"Amie. Nikia." Sesshomaru commanded. Two female Neko demons wearing servants clothing appeared at the far end Kagome's room. "See that she is properly bathed and dressed. I want her in the dining hall in one hour, no excuses." And with that Sesshomaru swept out of the room.

The two Neko's came forward. "Lady Kagome, please follow us, we will show you to the palace bathhouse." The one on Kagome's left said. She resembled a Bengal cat, while the one on her right reminded Kagome of a mountain lion she had seen once as a little girl.

"My name is Amie." Said the Bengal.

"And I am Nikia." Said the lion. "We will be your servants while you reside in the Palace of the Crescent Moon. I'm sorry my lady but we really must be taking you to the bathhouse."

"Well, I've never really had a servant before, and I don't plan on having any now." Kagome said, pulling aside her blankets, and setting her feet on the floor. "I can always use more friends though. Would you like to be my friends?"

Amie and Nikia took a quick look at one another. Their new mistress was certainly strange. "Of course, milady." They chorused.

"Please, call me Kagome. My brother will be the first in a long line of people that will inform you that I'm not a lady." Kagome said with a smile. "Very well then, I suppose we must follow the _Great Lord Fluffy's_ orders. Lead the way to the bathhouse. I apparently have three days worth of grime to wash off before I'm worthy enough to bask in his awesome presence."

Both Amie and Nikia unfurled fans from their belts to hide the smiles that they couldn't suppress at Kagome's humor. They where not used to their masters trying to make them smile, and it threw them both for a small loop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After taking a satisfying, albeit rather short, soak in the bathhouse, Kagome returned to her room with Amie and Nikia right behind her. Kagome took a quick look into the wardrobe in the corner, and selected a deep blue Kimono, cut much like the one she had worn on her way to the Western Lands. The silk of the Kimono was such a deep blue that in the shaded areas of the room it looked black. Small golden phoenixes frolicked over the surface with great golden dragons, the thread for all of them carefully stitched into the fabric.

Nikia put Kagome's hair into a beautiful design, allowing, at Kagome's request, for the placement of a couple of throwing daggers disguised as hair pins. Once that feat was done, Kagome allowed Amie to dab a small amount of scented oil on her wrists. A concession since Kagome had not allowed her to put any makeup on her face.

Finally Kagome was ready to go see Sesshomaru, and explain what happened. Or at least, she looked like she was ready.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A.N. I know I suck guys, I'm really sorry but I'm kinda at a cross-roads right now. Both in my life and in this fic. I'm in the process of getting divorced, and so my internet time has been severely cut down. I know this chapter is really short, but like I said, I'm getting divorced. Also, I need to hear from you guys. If you want me to continue this story and have it be a kind of quest-type-deallee, please say so. And if you would like to make this a kind of short-and-sweet-and-less-than-ten-chapters-type-deallee, then please, also say so. And if you just want me to stop writing all together, well screw you, I need an outlet and this is much less messy than the alternative. Less cops too. *just joking by the way, I wouldn't kill anyone, maim possibly, but not kill* I'm here for YOU people, help a girl out. ;~}


	5. Proper Introductions

_Kagome put a hand to the wound on her hip, and when she pulled her bloody hand away, there was a small pink orb sitting in the palm of her hand, it glowing with a soft, comforting aura. "So that's the jewel." She said weakly, before blackness consumed her, and her head fell back against Sesshomaru's shoulder._

'_Well she has some explaining to do.' Sesshomaru's beast said. 'Agreed' Sesshomaru thought._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunlight filtered through the bamboo shades to shine on the peacefully sleeping face of Kagome. The bandaged wound on her hip was already almost completely healed, the jewel resting inside her loosely closed palm, still glowing with a soft pink aura.

Sesshomaru sat in a chair on the left side of Kagome's bed, doing nothing but watching her breathe and subtly checking the sound of her heart beating, making sure that it was nice and regular. His own regular breathing bringing him the rapidly fading scent of the woman-child's blood. Finally he began to detect that she was beginning to wake up, and within seconds he heard a soft sigh from the bed and saw Kagome slowly raise her upper body off the mattress, using her arms a support.

* Kagome POV *

_'Wake up child, you are needed.' A soft comforting voice whispered to Kagome_. _For some reason it sounded like her mother. But that wasn't right, her mother was dead, she died long ago, when Kagome was just a child. She'd died saving her and Akihito. _

_'Mother?' Kagome sobbed. It sounded so much like her mother. She hadn't heard her mother's voice in so long. She sounded so close._

_'Open your eyes my child, my beautiful Kagome, you are needed beyond this place.' The voice said, beginning to sound farther away._

_'Mother please! Don't leave me again!' Kagome wailed._

_'Open your eyes, my child.'_

A very bright light greeted Kagome's wide open eyes. That combined with the dream she had just been experiencing caused a cascade of tears to start pouring down her cheeks. She barely noticed when Sesshomaru appeared by her side seconds later, deeply curious as to what was making her cry.

It took several seconds for Kagome to calm down long enough to take stock of her surroundings, and even then a couple more seconds to realize whom exactly was sitting next to her with a very strange stare in his eyes.

"Where am I?" Kagome finally managed to get out after a quick and furious eye-rubbing session.

Sesshomaru allowed himself another second of that strange stare, and then let out a muted, "Your chambers in my home: The Palace of the Crescent Moon, in the center of the Western Lands. I had a maid and a doctor dress your wound and your robes. You will meet me in the dining hall in one hour so that you can explain exactly what happened three days ago, and exactly what _that_ is." On the word 'that' Sesshomaru nodded his head towards Kagome's right hand that was still enclosing the small pink jewel.

Kagome was still to shaken from the memory of her resent dream that she couldn't' even muster enough defiance to give Sesshomaru a properly sarcastic "Okay."

"Amie. Nikia." Sesshomaru commanded. Two female Neko demons wearing servants clothing appeared at the far end Kagome's room. "See that she is properly bathed and dressed. I want her in the dining hall in one hour, no excuses." And with that Sesshomaru swept out of the room.

The two Neko's came forward. "Lady Kagome, please follow us, we will show you to the palace bathhouse." The one on Kagome's left said. She resembled a Bengal cat, while the one on her right reminded Kagome of a mountain lion she had seen once as a little girl.

"My name is Amie." Said the Bengal.

"And I am Nikia." Said the lion. "We will be your servants while you reside in the Palace of the Crescent Moon. I'm sorry my lady but we really must be taking you to the bathhouse."

"Well, I've never really had a servant before, and I don't plan on having any now." Kagome said, pulling aside her blankets, and setting her feet on the floor. "I can always use more friends though. Would you like to be my friends?"

Amie and Nikia took a quick look at one another. Their new mistress was certainly strange. "Of course, milady." They chorused.

"Please, call me Kagome. My brother will be the first in a long line of people that will inform you that I'm not a lady." Kagome said with a smile. "Very well then, I suppose we must follow the _Great Lord Fluffy's_ orders. Lead the way to the bathhouse. I apparently have three days worth of grime to wash off before I'm worthy enough to bask in his awesome presence."

Both Amie and Nikia unfurled fans from their belts to hide the smiles that they couldn't suppress at Kagome's humor. They where not used to their masters trying to make them smile, and it threw them both for a small loop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After taking a satisfying, albeit rather short, soak in the bathhouse, Kagome returned to her room with Amie and Nikia right behind her. Kagome took a quick look into the wardrobe in the corner, and selected a deep blue Kimono, cut much like the one she had worn on her way to the Western Lands. The silk of the Kimono was such a deep blue that in the shaded areas of the room it looked black. Small golden phoenixes frolicked over the surface with great golden dragons, the thread for all of them carefully stitched into the fabric.

Nikia put Kagome's hair into a beautiful design, allowing, at Kagome's request, for the placement of a couple of throwing daggers disguised as hair pins. Once that feat was done, Kagome allowed Amie to dab a small amount of scented oil on her wrists. A concession since Kagome had not allowed her to put any makeup on her face.

Now that all of the primping was done, Kagome assumed that it was time for the posing. Amie, and Nikia escorted Kagome through a maze of halls until they reached a set or massive oak doors. Each of them grabbed a handle and pulled the door open, bowing slightly as they did. Kagome took a quick look inside, and saw Sesshomaru sitting at the far end of a massive table. She heard a rustle of clothing behind her, and saw Nikia come up to her side out of the corner of her eye.

"My Lord Sesshomaru wishes you to sit at the opposite end of the table." She said under her breath, her head bowed so that Kagome couldn't see her face.

Kagome bristled with indignation. "I shall do no such thing!" she said vehemently and began to storm her way up the left side of the table towards where Sesshomaru was seated.

Amie and Nikia let out a simultaneous yelp and began to follow helplessly behind Kagome. Both of them knew that Lord Sesshomaru would be very displeased with both of them for Kagome's actions, and yet there was nothing that they could do to stop her. They would be killed if they should do so much as to lay a hand on their Lady.

"What is the meaning of wanting me to sit all the way at the other end of the table? If I'm that offensive to you, then you might have considered stopping at another village!" Kagome snapped at the unmoving Sesshomaru. "And I saw that look you threw to those women! Don't you dare even consider punishing them for this! Both of us know that there is absolutely nothing they could have done to stop me so there's no reason that they should get into trouble! Now explain to me why you wanted me on the far end!"

Amie and Nikia stood motionless behind their mistress. They had never before had anyone stand up to them. Not even to their fathers, let alone the Lord of the Western Lands.

Sesshomaru also sat motionless. No one had ever questioned him. Not a single human or demon had ever dared to question anything he said. And yet, here stood this scrap of a girl standing in front of him, hands on her hips, pink tinging her cheeks as her anger began to mount. And he had never been more aroused.

'_Let me kiss her.' His inner demon urged, straining against Sesshomaru's mental bonds. 'I want to see if those lips taste as good as they look.'_

'_Absolutely not.' Sesshomaru snapped back. 'She is not worthy of having this Sesshomaru as a mate.'_

'_Who said anything about mating?' his demon asked, never letting up on his struggle to break free. 'I just want to kiss that stern look off of her face, and maybe cop a quick feel of those perky little breasts.'_

'_I'll repeat it one last time: Absolutely not.'_

'_Cock-blocker.' He heard his demon mutter before he finally gave in to his restraints._

Kagome, completely unaware of Sesshomaru's inner battle, could feel a flush start to coat her cheeks as she got angrier at the fact that Sesshomaru was apparently ignoring her. Just as she was about to start yelling again, Sesshomaru abruptly stood out of his chair and faced Kagome. Kagome, now thoroughly alarmed at his sudden change in attitude, began to slowly back away from him, only dimly aware that the predatory gleam in his eyes shone brighter the farther she backed away. He began to follow her until Kagome felt the tell-tale thump of the wall at her back.

Sesshomaru continued to slowly stalk towards her until he stood flush in front of her, the heat of his chest permeating through the thin silk of his morning haori. He leaned his head in until his mouth lay poised next to her right ear. "You would do well to remember never to question me Ka-Go-Me. I do not take well to such things. Now sit down in whichever chair you choose, and be silent so that this Sesshomaru can explain to you precisely why he has come to get you."

Kagome nodded silently, and felt Sesshomaru's smirk against the side of her face before he stepped back and silently went to sit in his chair. Kagome quietly took a seat two chairs down from Sesshomaru, and almost instantly several servants began to place plates laden with food and steaming cups of tea on the table in front of her.

"Now then," Sesshomaru began as Kagome started to eat. "We must find and eradicate a Hanyou named Naraku."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A.N. Sorry this one took me so long guys. I've kinda had a lot going on lately. I just got a new job *Yay me* a new apartment, and I'm still trying to get divorced. I'll try to update more often. Don't forget to review ;~


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